Redskins

A United Nations human rights expert says the name of the Washington Redskins football team is a “hurtful reminder” of the mistreatment of Native Americans, but stopped short of joining in calls for the team’s owner to change the name.

The NFL is considering a heavy tax on it, citing the fact that the gridiron is a workplace, and thus they can control the language and lexicon of its players. It’s probably the most delicate and toxic topic we’ll ever discuss in sports.

The controversy over ethnic mascots is hardly new. Many experts say using any human being as a mascot is demeaning regardless of the depiction, though communities at times have been reluctant to cede old traditions.

A man on trial in the slaying of Washington Redskins star safety Sean Taylor admitted to breaking into the NFL player’s home, kicking down the bedroom door and shooting Taylor, and drew a detailed diagram of the house, labeling himself as the shooter, according to a videotaped confession played for the jury Thursday.